Music Features https://redlineroots.com FOLK & ROOTS MUSIC PUBLICATION Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:53:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 69725619 New England Americana and Riverview Sound Announce “Harvest Hoedown” September 26th https://redlineroots.com/2026/08/new-england-americana-and-riverview-sound-announce-harvest-hoedown-september-26th/ Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:53:28 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12458

Twelve bands. Two stages. FREE. Saturday, September 26th.

The full lineup for the Harvest Hoedown just dropped today and its a doozy! The collective of New England Americana and Riverview Sound (two entities that hold a special place in my heart) are teaming up to bring a heck of a throw down at their Harvest Hoedown next month. Big love to both NEA and Riverview for keeping the torch burning bright.

Harvest Hoedown Bands include:

Autumn Hollow, Colt and the Coyotes, Comanchero, The Pounders , Molly Pinto Madigan, Falls So Fast, Lakeline, Ryan Fitzsimmons, sunfisher, OtherBrotherDarryl, Julie Rhodes, and The Blue Ribbons closing it out.

When, where? Saturday, September 26 at Vincent’s, 49 Suffolk St, Worcester. Doors at 11:30 AM, music from 1 PM to midnight. 21+.

]]>
12458
Brighter Days Ahead: Mr. Sun Drops 2 Singles and New Record Releases Sept 4 https://redlineroots.com/2026/08/brighter-days-ahead-mr-sun-drops-2-singles-and-new-record-releases-sept-4/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:47:48 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12444 Mr. Sun is just one of those bands…perhaps just “one band” that sits in a space all their own. There is instrumental string band music and then there is the juggernaut of the genre that is the quartet of Darol Anger, Joe K. Walsh, Grant Gordy and Aidan O’Donnell. Their records and live shows a true voyage of brilliant arrangement, flowing emotional states and pure joy and energy.

The band is back this year with a new record titled The Idea Guys, which fully releases on September 4th, just a few weeks away, but we’ve already got 2 single releases (as of today) from that new collection or original tunes (sans one written by the great David Surette). The first tune being The Invisible Present. Their penchant for a build and release, creating a palpable tension that always releases in a truly beautiful way. Close your eyes in the first few notes and I am taken to Christmas Day as a kid, there is something wintry and can refocus my mind in a peculiarly special way.

Road Mode engulfing that Reinhardt meets Dawg music pure fashion and style that the band embodies so well. A band who’s live performance is dotted with smiles and audible laughs as they surprise and impress one another, even on this recording I can almost hear that unmistakable laugh and glances that the band shoots each other mid break. There is such a playful and engaging energy in this track that it pulls you deep, with its undulating arrangement, the ups and downs a welcome ride. True brilliance wrapped up in steel strings, the momentum lifting you up for a just over 4 minute adventure into the wit and splendor that four individual musical voices can exemplify and embrace when they sing together.

This is the good stuff.

The Idea Guys is out in just a few weeks. Pre-order it today or keep an eye on Mr. Sun’s Bandcamp for the release.

]]>
12444
First Listen: High Country Hustle “New Old Roads” https://redlineroots.com/2026/08/first-listen-high-country-hustle-new-old-roads/ Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:33:13 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12441 First Listen is a feature where we sit back in a dark room, put our headphones on and push play while regurgitating our immediate feelings & emotions to a piece of work.

Just like the album name conveys, this new record came to me through old friends and old channels. Fiddler and vocalist David Delaney shared this new record from High Country Hustle with me a number of weeks back and I am just getting into it.

‘New Old Roads’ has a powerful drive and indelible groove through songs like Madeline the Quaker and New Old Roads. The former I could easily see becoming a campground jam mainstay. Infectious and vibey. But there is a keen balance here. Happy People, following up the slightly more frenetic Madeline with a powerful, but sense of ease about it. A brilliant ballad for the new age of bluegrass.

The 4 piece outfit exemplifies the traditions of bluegrass via potent harmonies and impressive swapped lead duties and man, I find myself especially taken by how seamlessly they move in and out of the shared lead vocal duties. Keep things interesting, while at the same time harnessing and grounding things with their hefty choral harmonies, foot stomping melodies and expertly executed solos. The flow of the record as a collection is a journey, a real trip that has the lively feeling of a late night festival set that washes over and rejuvenates you after baking in the sun all day. It’s palpable.

There is jubilance and a funk and soul that lives within the boundaries of these 10 tracks. Borrowing from the best of what the bluegrass genre has gifted to us and intertwining it with a contemporary feel and sound. This is the kind of band that you see on a festival stage, perhaps not knowing them beforehand but immediately finding a new lifelong favorite. Keep an eye (and ear) out for these fellas…

]]>
12441
Pre-Order “Bluegrass Women” Helmed by Lindsay Lou Today! https://redlineroots.com/2026/07/pre-order-bluegrass-women-helmed-by-lindsay-lou-today/ Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:48:14 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12435 If you’ve been a fan of bluegrass music (or bluegrass adjacent music) in the last decade or two – ok, lets be honest, since the beginning of the genre – it should come as no surprise that some of the most talented voices in the game are those of women performers. Sadly, that representation has not always been given the spotlight that it deserves. Well, its high time that all of that power and talent was harnessed into a singular record and Lindsay Lou is presenting just that. I shouldn’t really have to say much more, but I’ll just go ahead and drop this from Lindsay:

“Some of these songs I sang for many years before realizing they were penned by a wife/mother/female artist,” says Lou. “As a woman, it’s easy to feel like an outsider, or like you don’t belong, in a genre where there is a noticeable lack of representation of women among the forebears. To know that women’s voices made it into the traditional songs feels like a quiet win, and I want to draw more attention to it.”

The second track off the project was just released today and its an absolute stunner. “I’ve Endured” is a tune that has graced festival stages and campground jams for years and years, but this new interpretation enters as an easy paced, honey harmonied beauty of a take on the classic. The swapped verses allowing each highlighted singer to imprint their own unique and tempered delivery. The solos and layered instrumentation create a impressive and deep palette of emotion and enveloping engrossment that carries a heft and energy. An incredible warmth and brilliance across the board. New life and buoyant building energy that is gorgeous and heartfelt. Check it out.

Co-produced by Lou and Shani Ghandi, Bluegrass Women is a ten song album of Bluegrass classics that were penned by women over the course of the genre’s history. The Bluegrass Women project honors women in a predominantly male fronted genre while featuring bands made up entirely of some of the best women and pickers in the scene today. Led by Lou, the album features the likes of Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz (of I’m With Her), Laurie Lewis, and many more.

Pre-order ‘Bluegrass Women’ today!

]]>
12435
Newport Folk Festival 2026 https://redlineroots.com/2026/07/newport-folk-festival-2026/ Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:37:33 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12420 When you’re riding a water taxi, or waiting in line to get a Del’s Lemonade, or relaxing in a beach chair at the Newport Folk Festival, it is very common to strike up a conversation with the folks around you. I think I talk to more strangers at Newport than anywhere else in my life. And the common entry point is about what sets have been big highlights for people. I love these conversations, because people are so eager to share–their eyes light up, sometimes their eyes tear up, and they are transported for just a minute back to that experience. 

So, in that spirit, here are the sets that made me light up, tear up, or both this year:

Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover. This duo put out one of my favorite records of 2025, the Woody-Guthrie-inspired-and-yet-completely-contemporary What of Our Nature. The performance was pretty much perfect. Max & Haley’s voices complement each other beautifully, drawing comparisons to another famous Newport duo, Bob Dylan & Joan Baez. Max thoughtfully reflected that 11 days earlier, in his home state of Maine, “on a beautiful day, on a day like this, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, was murdered by ICE.” The songs masterfully weave the urgency of this moment with the joy and love necessary to meet it. I loved Haley’s performance of “In Bulosan’s Words,” a song composed of the Filipino poet and novelist Carlos Bulosan’s work. And the final song, “This Morning I Am Born Again,” was the perfect song to end on, leading the Harbor Stage audience to leap to a standing ovation. 

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings Play the Grateful Dead. From the first words of “Bertha,” the first song they played, I was hooked. The simple set up of two guitars, bass, and snare drum belied the intricacy and magic that was on display. Both Gillian and bassist Paul Kowert took turns on the snare, sometimes while also playing their guitar and bass. Nathaniel Rateliff joined them on the drum and vocals for “Black Peter,” and there was an adorable moment during “Uncle John’s Band,” where the words got confused, and the literal next verse had the line: “Oh, oh, what I want to know is, How does this song go?” It was a great reminder that imperfect moments can be better than flawless ones. 

CMAT and the Very Sexy CMAT Band stole my heart. They had swagger and confidence, “because we’re excellent,” as CMAT said. The band’s choreography added humor to the performance, and CMAT herself is one of the best frontwomen I’ve ever seen. Euro-Country is a brilliant album, and those songs dominated the setlist, but she also brought out Brandi Carlile for a Sapphic love song from her earlier work, “I’d Want U.” Brandi seemed in awe of CMAT, because she’s excellent, because she’s dazzling, and because of her irrepressible energy. I think she spoke for all of us, when she said to CMAT, “You’re amazing.” 

Lauryn Hill. I mean, what more could you ask for than an icon performing iconic songs brilliantly? Her voice is as strong as ever, and her band was so good. It’s a big setup, so there were some technical challenges getting the stage changed over, and her set was delayed by about 45 minutes. But it was worth the wait and then some. 

Snacktime. Speaking of Lauryn Hill, one of the best moments of the set was when Newport-darlings Snacktime joined her on stage. In fact, it’s always the best moment of a set when these guys join in. They might have won the Jim James award this year for most collaborations, and their own set on the Fort stage was a perfect display of their ability to move a crowd from waiting to exuberance in sixty seconds. In 2025, they took a lot of people by surprise, and were many people’s favorite set of the Festival; in 2026, they had a devoted following and I hope they become NFF fixtures for many years to come. 

If Snacktime represents the artists who hype up a crowd, John R. Miller’s set was the best example of how to make people stop and listen. He was the recipient of the John Prine Songwriter’s Fellowship, and it is so well deserved. While his brilliant new record, The Great Unknowing, features a lot of gritty guitar sound, Miller stripped down to an acoustic guitar, with accompaniment from J. Tom Hnatow on lead/slide guitar and Chloe Edmundstone on fiddle. It was the perfect way to highlight his lyricism that is certainly reminiscent of Prine and his beautifully sorrowed voice, which reminds me a lot of Jay Farrar. 

The final set on the Harbor Stage was a bluegrass masterclass, with Peter Rowan joined by a band of stone-cold assassins: Sierra Hull, Sam Grisman, Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, and Max Wareham. Rowan is 84, but damn that voice is there. His harmonies with Sierra and Teresa were so perfect, and I guess if you’ve been singing bluegrass songs for literally sixty years, you’re going to know how to harmonize. After the first couple of songs, Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch snuck on stage to join the band, with mischievous smiles on their faces as they crept up behind the band. They played on “Walls of Time,” which Rowan co-wrote with Bill Monroe, and it was a perfect combination of playfulness and mastery that makes bluegrass such a wonderfully creative style of music. 

There were so many wonderful moments at this Festival, and you’ve probably heard about the big ones, like Dave Matthews as the surprise guest in the last set, or Hayley Williams bringing out guest after guest in her headlining set. But the magic, to me, of this Festival happens on the small stages. Tim Bernardes singing a Portuguese version of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue,” to close his achingly gorgeous set. Community Chapstick creating a real community feeling by giving out CC bracelets to eager fans following their debut on the Foundation stage. Sally Rose being supported by fellow Virginians Illiterate Light and Sasha Landon (Palmyra) as they lit up the Bike stage. Chris Pierce bringing his “Songs for the Heavy Hearted” to us on Sunday morning and making us all feel a little less heavy for a little while. Oakland Rising, a group of teenagers from California who had come in as part of the Sea to Shining Sea Project, learned they were playing the Bike stage about two hours before their set, and they made lifelong fans before the end of their first song with their beautiful harmonies and lyrics that are wise beyond their years. And, of course, seeing The Lumineers return to their roots of house concerts by playing the Bike Stage was so fun. For me, when in doubt at Newport, go to the smallest stage available, and you will be rewarded. 

When I sat down to write this review, I had just learned of Glen Hansard’s death. Glen performed on some of the biggest stages in the world, but he was always a busker at heart, playing on the smallest stage there is, with no venue, no tickets, no audience assured, just a belief that a song can reach someone who may not even know they need it. 

I saw Glen twice at Newport, and both times he used his position on the stage to make space for others. In 2016, he invited his friend and photographer Anthony Mulcahy to come out of the photo pit to sing “The Auld Triangle.” Last year, he stepped aside for an up-and-coming Irish songwriter, Josh O’Keefe, to sing his amazing song, “Build a Wall,” to the crowd. Glen embodied the best of Newport–the generosity, spontaneity, and kindness that make this Festival different. I hope there are massive busking tributes to him next year. But I also hope that we can all take lessons from how he lived: be humble, be generous, and, if you’ve only got one song to sing, fuckin go for it. 

Until next time, Newport. 

]]>
12420
Show Review: Andrew Marlin & Josh Oliver at Cat’s Cradle (Carrboro, NC – May 16, 2026) https://redlineroots.com/2026/05/show-review-andrew-marlin-josh-oliver-at-cats-cradle-carrboro-nc-may-16-2026/ Tue, 26 May 2026 20:11:14 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12410 It says a lot about musicians when even the dog a person brings to the show sits quietly in her lap, listening to every note. When I arrived about 30 minutes before the opening act, there were basically only single seats left at the Cat’s Cradle for Andrew Marlin & Josh Oliver (Watchhouse) duo show. That is unusual, and also speaks to just how excited the audience was to hear these two brilliant instrumentalists and vocalists collaborate in a stripped-down way. 

I was totally unprepared for Josh Moore, the opening act. There’s an acronym: IYKYK, If You Know, You Know. Well, I didn’t know. Josh Moore doesn’t have a website that I could find, has two albums on Spotify, and according to one person at the show, “sometimes plays around Chapel Hill and Carrboro, when he feels like it.” His voice is as soulful as I have ever heard. He’s not a belter, but the timing and inflection as he sang reflected a depth of connection to the lyrics that can sometimes be overshadowed when someone sings with too much volume. Halfway through his set, he was joined by Maria Quiles on percussion and harmony vocals, and their voices blended together so naturally. As soon as I got into the car after the show, I was looking up Josh Moore’s music (and videos of him playing with Andrew & Josh over 10 years ago), and I encourage you to check out his albums.

Andrew and Josh played an amazing set, a perfect mix of instrumentals, covers, and originals. I loved hearing Josh’s original songs, “Part of Life,” and “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over.” Many of the instrumentals came from Andrew’s extensive catalogue with his string band. One of the things I appreciate about how they sing together is that the harmony isn’t obvious, kind of like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, resulting in a deeply rich sound. And, man, they’re just having so much fun playing, and that infectious energy is so special to be around. 


It’s also amazing when some of your favorite musicians introduce you to new songs and artists. Josh sang lead on a cover of Ian Thomas’s “I Ain’t Lonesome.” With due respect to the original, Josh’s truly lonesome voice delivered the lyrics in a way that Thomas’s more polished vocal doesn’t reach. They also played an amazing version of “Who Carried You,” a song by Malcolm Holcombe. I am now utterly obsessed with that song. 

Emily Frantz joined them for a few songs at the end of the set, and both Emily, Josh Moore, and Maria Quiles were on for the last two songs of the encore. It was the perfect ending to a perfect show. 

This was the last show on Andrew & Josh’s duo run, but you can catch Watchhouse on the road this summer. 


Check out our full gallery of photos on the Red Line Roots facebook page!

]]>
12410
RECAP: 10 Sessions for 10 Years of The Old Spruce Sessions https://redlineroots.com/2026/05/recap-10-sessions-for-10-years-of-the-old-spruce-sessions/ Tue, 05 May 2026 13:01:22 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12397 Just a few short weeks from now will mark a decade since I moved from the suburbs of Boston, working an office 9-5 just outside of Central Square and moonlighting as a songwriter & sitting in with friends bands multiple nights a week. While running this publication from a much more centralized point, embedded IN the scene, as opposed to a quiet rural town of just over 1,000 people in Central Vermont. 

In that time things have waxed and waned fairly dramatically for me with Red Line Roots. I have a love / obligatory relationship to it that sometimes isn’t great for my mental health or my own needs to feel accepted by people/artists/community. I get a sudden urge to churn out articles because a bunch of wonderful records are sent my way then I don’t feel the compulsion for months at a time to write about anything. To film anything. To shoot anything music related. But, I think I am coming to terms with that being completely acceptable and ok. This is what is it and what I (and Ken) have energy for and putting any sort of positivity into the universe is a good thing at the end of the day.

Anyway, a happy side effect of that big move to a little town was the birth of the Old Spruce Sessions. A catalyst that flung me head first into my present love and dedication to filmmaking in Vermont. Dovetailing my passion for music and supporting musicians with a newfound obsession for moving pictures and making films. Old Spruce itself has featured about 65 different artists/groups (and collabs with music fests and others sees another 30+ artists). To say I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work with so many incredible artists is a vast understatement Over the years, things also have been a rollercoaster of productivity (big thanks to COVID), but I am getting back into finding my vision and wanting to continue highlighting those hyper local artists here in VT and friends who are passing through. I have to thank this series in a big way for fostering relationships that saw two of my favorite projects of all time this past year (unrelated to OSS or Red Line) and gave me 4 extremely collaborative and fulfilling years shooting sessions at Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots, cementing relationships with some of my favorite artists and heroes (*see note about 2 projects from last year).

I don’t know what the “magic number” is for how many sessions keeps us relevant or feeds my soul. Honestly, it could be one a year, that simply creates that connection with an artist in making something together that I am so constantly on the hunt to find and nurture. I am always learning something new, finding my footing, finding “the look” and “the vibe”, but in the end, doing anything for a decade feels like some sort of accomplishment or commitment or something. Now I am rambling.

Anyway, I guess this is all to say that I am eternally grateful to any artist who has ever taken the time to sit and play tunes in from my lenses and microphones and before I get too emotionally cheesy, here are 10 Sessions from 10 Years of Old Spruce Sessions that have stuck with me and I feel give a good wide brushstroke of what this decade has been…

Connor Millican “Dreams I’m Living In” –  This was the session that started it all. We had lived in our new VT home for literally a couple weeks, barely unpacked before our friend Connor and his bandmates in Wise Old Moon swung through to play at Light Club Lamp Shop and crash with us. Connor and I were up relatively early the next morning, while the rest of the gents still slumbered, and were chatting over a strong cup of coffee. Before I moved up to VT I had shot a couple of videos for friends back in Boston, but nothing too serious, so I said to Connor, “when do you think these guys will get up? Want to go out to the dilapidated sugar house in the woods and film a song or two?” Connor eagerly obliged and this is what shook out from our caffeinated adventure.

Dan Blakeslee “Bandit” Another very early session. Those who know Dan, love Dan and I feel no different. Dan was swinging through on his way to Burlington as he has done a few times over the year since and we were thinking about where to shoot…something unique and quirky and the sun beating down made me think of the necessity of a cool breeze. What screams cool breeze in the Vermont summer sun? Water. So we trekked over to our neighbor Fritz’s pond, launched a canoe and started to film…and subsequently continue to be pulled into the bank (which, hopefully doesn’t show too much on camera!).

Billy Strings “Cocaine Blues” – The reason why most people end up on the Youtube channel (it has over 6 million views now). We shot this little one off session just before Billy and the band exploded. They were playing the showcase lounge at Higher Ground and Billy and I spent a bit of time before the show talking about his childhood, about community and music and then I pulled out a camera and asked if he would play something impromptu for me. He obliged and this video has been seen by countless folks, tab has been made of the performance and it gave me a truly special intimate moment with one of the greatest musicians of my lifetime.

Joe K. Walsh & Danny Barnes “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” at GMBR…Shot during the first year of Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots, this cemented a relationship for 4 years of the festival between myself and the GMBR fam. Those early days were so beautiful and exciting and this feeling of tight togetherness encapsulated moments that I will forever be grateful for and this moment was one of the many. Joe and Danny in a dimly lit room, sunlight piercing the one window between them and this gorgeous rendition of a classic. I have heard many versions of this song and this one may still be my absolute favorite.

Maya de Vitry “The Key” – Maya and the fellas swung by the house and I had the brilliant idea to head up the hill to a beautiful field I thought would be the perfect backdrop for filming…that was until the gnats came out as the sun drifted slightly lower in the sky, but it didn’t stop Maya, Ethan and Jason from performing this beautiful take on Maya’s tune “The Key” off her latest release (at the time) “Adaptations” . They truly get the award for the “most resilient Old Spruce Session artists”. True pros…grinning and singing through the gnats in the field, packed up and they then headed on their way to the next stop on tour.

The Stash Band “Kill Everything”– The Award for “Best Dressed”. I headed up to Waterbury to catch Stash and the band at Zenbarn (which was kind of new at the time?) and headed through a labyrinth, through a kitchen and a secret door (?) in an office to a stairway that brought me up to where the fellas were hanging before the show in an apartment connected to the venue. Then, I was greeted by these fellas. It was like something out of aDavid Lynch film. Beautifully strange. To witness Stash and the band in any capacity, well, you know. Its an experience and the full body spandex suits were something…plus the performance and show later on that evening, top notch energy.

Lula Wiles “I’m Over You” – I had long been a fan of anything that Isa, Ellie and Mali did and was ecstatic to catch up with them before they were performing at Feast and Field in Barnard, VT for their weekly farmer’s market towards the tail end of the summer (OK, it was beginning of October, but we still had sun and not much chill in the air yet). We met at the Fermentory across the dirt road from the market, up a hill and inside this beautifully resonant room as the mid-afternoon sun provided a halo of light across the three artists as they sung. If you look up the word “sublime” in the dictionary I am pretty sure there is a photo of these 3 singing next to it.

Eli West “The Hearth” – I fell in love with Eli’s voice and songwriting upon the first time listening and when he was passing through Montpelier (which turned from a duo to a solo gig) I had to meet up with him and shoot in this historical and sparse space at the Old Meeting House Church just outside of Montpelier up in the hills. Eli fished a piece of paper with scratch marks and lyrics written across it and started to play a new, not quite finished yet tune that struck the moment brilliantly. Large meeting house windows casting light across the pews and Eli, lonesome in the space, playing to the emptiness. Moments like this don’t happen often, so I cherish them so very much.

Jake Klar “Rosy” – Jake was an early guest and a “more than once” collaborator with us. Stopping by a handful of times in the early days of OSS. Jake has a swagger and a coolness to delivery and writing. Driving  up a rutted out dirt road, hiked up a meadowy hillside and played his song “Rosy” as he looked out past the spiked tops of the pines to the rolling hills beyond here in Corinth, Vermont.  I am so grateful for those early days and to work with artists like Jake with this project. 

Courtney Hartman “Inside Outside” – Vibiest sound in any session? Courtney was up in Vermont playing a solo show in an old church in Thetford just two towns over from me. I hadn’t seen her in a couple years and reached out to see if she wanted to shot something…she said yes and so day of,  we ventured up to the loft where the church organ is located, found a quiet corner and Courtney beautifully played a duo of tunes to the reverberating empty space. The natural room sound captured by two directional small diaphragm condensers and her brilliant performance filling the quiet with a jubilant and poignant sound ahead of her show. Just the two of us in a huge space, but tucked away into a corner as cars rushed by outside the windows and rain pattered down on the pavement.

]]> 12397 Show Review: Watchhouse at The Pyrle 4/16/26 https://redlineroots.com/2026/05/show-review-watchhouse-at-the-pyrle-4-16-26/ Mon, 04 May 2026 13:26:01 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12391 The Pyrle is a new venue in Greensboro, NC, and it is the perfect place to see a band like Watchhouse. It opened in February, and it strikes a balance of having large enough capacity and also being intimate, reminding me of wonderful places like Haw River Ballroom or The Sinclair (up in Cambridge, MA). When Watchhouse began their set, Emily commented that they realized they’d never played Greensboro, aside from when they were first starting out, playing pig pickings and a wedding in Greensboro. “We’re here!” a couple shouted from the mezzanine, still together and still sharing their favorite music–that can’t be a coincidence. 
Sam Moss opened the show with a beautiful set of his spare, lovely songs. His voice is entrancing and he can take a simple idea and imbue it with depth and meaning. Sam’s guitar playing is equally transfixing, and the audience gave him a warm welcome and you could feel them leaning in further with each song.

The show featured a wonderful balance of songs from their fantastic latest record, Rituals, and some longtime favorites, like “Gospel Shoes,” “Old Ties and Companions,” and, of course, “Wildfire.” I really loved how they encouraged the audience to hum along with “Wildfire”–it felt communal in the best way and there was a ripple of energy through the crowd as we provided a low backdrop to that haunting song. 

One of my favorite moments of the show was when there was a sound malfunction, just because of the band’s reaction. They just kept playing and after the song, Andrew said something like, “You might have noticed that Emily’s guitar stopped going through the system midway through the song. And I thought, well I can either get distracted by that or remember that I’m playing music with my best friends here and it’s gonna be OK.” What a wonderful perspective, and it’s funny how sometimes those things that go “wrong” are what make a show feel right. 

It’s that attitude that makes Watchhouse such a fun band to see–you can feel their genuine connection to each other, the joy they have making music together, and the confidence they feel that it’s going to work out. It helps, of course, that they play beautifully and have a catalogue of songs that are incredible examples of the craft of songwriting; but I think they attained those things because of how they seem to have approached music from their beginning–that it is about community, about sharing melodies and building them together. In some ways, I think they’d still be happy playing at a pig picking, as long as they got to play. 

The show at The Pyrle was near the end of this leg of their tour. But Andrew & Josh are playing a few duo shows together in May, and Watchhouse is back on the road for most of the summer, including their annual trip to the Green Mountain Bluegrass Festival. Find tour dates here and get out to see this amazing group. 

Check out our full gallery of images on the Red Line Roots facebook page. 

]]>
12391
Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Announces Daily Line up (Pro Tip: Just go to all the days) https://redlineroots.com/2026/05/green-mountain-bluegrass-roots-announces-daily-line-up-pro-tip-just-go-to-all-the-days/ Fri, 01 May 2026 13:14:50 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12387 May 1st. Spring is springing here in Vermont and Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots Festival gives Vermonters (and music lovers from all over New England and beyond) a bit more hope for those summer days and nights. GMBR dropped it daily line up today and individual day tickets are on sale as well.

You couldn’t go wrong with picking any day to head down and check out GMBR. With a whole slew of “publicly mentioned” collabs in the mix with Jordan Tice & Joseph Terrell, Darol Anger & Bruce Molsky, Noam Pikelny & Stuart Duncan…and it goes on and on…surprise and special moments are bound to unearth themselves. But, as the article title says, pro tip: just take the time off now and get down there for the full long weekend. Get after it folks.

]]>
12387
John Mailander’s New Forecast EP Glistens & Moves https://redlineroots.com/2026/05/john-mailanders-new-forecast-ep-glistens-moves/ Fri, 01 May 2026 13:03:36 +0000 https://www.redlineroots.com/?p=12382 John Mailander is a beautiful musician and human. His Forecast project is the epitome of what (I believe) so many of us yearn for and can appreciate as artists ourselves. At least its something I yearn for myself. A platform, a collective of musicians and artists orbiting Mailander as the central connection point, the glue, that holds brilliant and poignant arrangements together. He has cemented himself as a conduit, a lighting rod, for creativity and the true splendor that can result when exceptional artists enter a space together and just create.

There is something difficult to pinpoint about John’s music, but it elicits a visceral response in me. It moves me. It forces me to ponder the art. To hit replay at the end of a listen. To strive for more of what this art feeds to me and in a day where our social feeds are brimming with AI slop and misinformation, John’s work is such a gorgeous and needed reprieve from the constant overwhelming din and visual bombardment. His newest work under the Forecast banner is just 3 (maybe 2 and a 1/3?) songs, but it still elicits those feeling of joy and sentimentality and ardor and an ever so slight cutting emotion of melancholy that just plain makes me FEEL. This is what music is supposed to do to you. This is what art is supposed to do to you. My only criticism is it doesn’t give us enough of this beautiful sonic jubilation. Magnificent.

Just listen to it today and see for yourself.

John Mailander – Fiddle, Piano, OP-1, Samples, Electronics
Ethan Jodziewicz – Upright, Arco, and Electric Basses
Chris Lippincott – Pedal Steel Guitar, Wurlitzer
Dean Miller – Tenor Saxophone
Mark Raudabaugh – Drums and Percussion
Jake Stargel – Acoustic Guitar
Kristina Train – Lead Vocal on “Little Wheel”, Spoken Word

Produced by John Mailander.

Recorded live on February 24th, 2026 by Dan Davis with assistance from Hank Bachara at Southern Ground Studio in Nashville, TN.

]]> 12382